"Let it be one cheerful rational voice amidst the din of mourners and polemics." Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1840.
A Brit-in-Helsinki's blog about global politics, climbing, cycling, things that annoy me and other bits of life. But not necessarily in that order.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

True Finns, true prats.

(photo: True Finns Parliamentary Group) Finland's populist right wing party is led by a smart man, but what follows behind appears to be a mix of the dumb and the very unpleasant. Timo Soini, the True Finns leader, last year had to ban his youth wing from associating with dubious foreign party youth wings. Recently he had to disassociate himself from a man who stood (and won) on the True Finns' list in the municipal elections. This councilor has publically wished that certain women whom he dislikes get raped - delightful eh? Soini didn't actually say he disagreed, although I'm sure that he does, but only that it wasn't his business. And then today another True Finns candidate from last month's municipal elections (this one didn't win a seat it seems) makes the news for having started a Facebook group suggesting - in a hilariously jokey manner I'm sure - homophobic violence against a Finnish TV personality. And of course let's not forget the former True Finns MP, Tony "the Viking" Halme who was convicted of firearms violations, drug use and the smuggling of illegal drugs into the country.

14 comments:

There are spine chilling similarities between the True Finns and the Danish People's Party led by Pia Kjaersgaard. Nobody took DPP seriously in the early nineties, now they are extremely powerful in Denmark. The TrueFinns are scary. They are set up in a "the smart lead, the stupid follow" format and unfortunately it really does work. Look at their leader Timo Soini, all cute and cuddly. I mean to say, you can't but help liking Timo Soini.

While I totally disagree with the statement made by Jussi Halla-aho about rape, it would help to place it within the right context.

The statement was made two years ago concerning the authors disgust with immigration policies which he believes have led to the spate of rapes taking place in Finland, as well as the possibility for future rapes.

What I find even more troubling, is the Greens former spokesman, and still elected official, Timo Soininvaara's statement that he wished that if any people die as a result of the nurses strike, it would be the relatives of those supporting the nurses.

No one of course is taking the Finnish Greens to task over that statement, let alone Timo Soininvaara.

Nor is there any interest in the Left on taking on the very Facistic leaning ANTIFA and like minded thugs, like the Swedish EXPO group.

And Toby, as for your statements about the Swedish Democrats and the Vlaams Belang being smartly dressed Fascists, you are going to have to point to their party platforms and pinpoint exactly where there is anything remotely "fascistic" about them, especially with the Vlaams Belang, since I have spent much time pouring over their history and connections etc.

The once "ever strident" LGF is becoming pretty much of a standard joke fro those who know better.

As for your claim in a prior post of yours that you linked to, that: "they only spread conspiracy theories about Muslims now."

I believe that the conclusion of the Holy Land has proven your statement to be a bit too naive:

Robert Spencer: Another unsavory link between the HLF and the global jihad came to light during the first trial of the charity, which ended in a mistrial last year. Found among the HLF’s documents was the Muslim Brotherhood memorandum about its “grand jihad in eliminating and destroying Western civilization from within” first came to light. It seems clear now that the HLF itself was one of the chief engines of this stealthy effort, enjoying a sterling reputation as a charitable organization while actually acting as a virtual fundraising engine for Hamas."

From Tariq Ramadan, to the knuckle heads the Muslim Brotherhood/international jihad succeeds in recuiting, one thing remains constant: their relentless push to subvert the West.

KGS. You are arguing that Osmo Soininvaara’s (I take it that is who you meant) tasteless and idiotic comment justifies Halla-Aho’s tasteless and idiotic comment? Both comments were made irrespective of each other, at completely different times, in respect to two completely different issues.

Your argument is as asinine as Soininvaara’s and Halla-Aho’s comments.

Most interesting to me is how you failed to grasp the point. Do you actually digest what you read, (think about it first) then respond, or just rattle off a knee-jerk reponses that in no way corresponds to the thought you're adressing?

I was not justifying anything, but rather pointing out the hypocricy of the Left. Osmo Soininvaara is in no danger of losing his political career for an even more tasteless and idiotic comment than Halla-Aho's, yet it's the latter being dragged before the court of public opinion.

It's entirely irrelevant "when the comments were made, and what issues they were addressing".

The issue I raised, only concerns the hypocricy of the Left/Leftist Greens, which is making a big stink over a PS politician's statement from two years ago, while turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to similar, or more problematic statements by one of their own.

In what way was is it not correct? Halla Aho made the comment on his blog, and then is quoted in Hesari saying he stood by it still. You say you totally disagree with the statement, so why then point out someone else's crass statement unless you are trying to explain it in some way?

And presumably Soinavaara would say the context to his comment was his real fear for the welfare of hospital patients. So does explaining this context make it a less silly statement? If you think Halla Aho's comment deserves context, presumably Soinavaara's does as well?

What I said Toby, was that your statement was not 'entirely correct', because it wasn't placed within the right context.

I guess it was more exciting to do it that way, it gave it a bit more punch, right?

Regrettably, what Halla-Aho actually wished for, was that the same women (Greens) responsible for immigration policies that have led to Finnish women being raped all over Finland by immigrant males, be victims themselves instead of innocent women who have nothing to do with such policies.

Again TOBY, what don't you understand about someone POINTING OUT HYPOCRICY? Both statements are condemnable, with Soininvaara's being the worse of the two, but yet it's only Halla-Aho being pummeled.

Soininvaara was very explicit to the blogger Markus, repeatedly about his comments, so don't try to soft peddle them. The person in question was upset about it, and wanted to pursue it further, but his parents, to whom Soininvaara was referring to, choose not to due to their ages, not wanting to become embroiled in a media event.

What - in that you say I didn't put a quote in context and then gave an alternative quote with no context?

I was writing a blog post about the True Finns, not about the nurse strike. You should blog about that if you think it deserves more coverage. Fair enough.

It seems to me to be "moral relativism" that when someone of the right says something nasty, to respond by saying the left can be nasty to. But if that is your sense of fairness, next time you report some hateful statement made by some Muslim leader somewhere round the world, perhaps you should add something nice said by a different Muslim leader? Surely otherwise it's hypocrisy?

Whenever it comes to your comments I consistently have a problem in grasping the point. In this I am not alone.

As for Soininvaara and the Greens, get it right please. He and his party are not of the "Left" as you incorrectly put it. That's a subjective opinion born out of your ignorance of their party structure, their history and their policies.

"Try reading things through before you respond."

I do, and in your case I read them through ever so many times. Still the mind boggles.

Well Jukka, your snarky comments are part in parcel with your highly over inflated view of yourself, it comes across in your writings, so don't kid yourself about their overall impact.

Jukka: "As for Soininvaara and the Greens, get it right please. He and his party are not of the "Left" as you incorrectly put it. That's a subjective opinion born out of your ignorance of their party structure, their history and their policies."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Stack up the policies of the average Green with the SDP and the other red brigades, and see how much they have in common. You're only kidding yourself.